The final meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community this academic year focused mostly on the "housing crisis" afflicting graduate students. The meeting also heard reports on eating club and childcare issues.
"This is the best attendance at a UC meeting this year," President Tilghman said at the beginning of the meeting. The room in the Computer Science building was nearly full — with many graduate students present to demonstrate their support.
GSG Chair Scott Miller GS delivered a presentation on the plight of the 250 graduate students who reported they had not been granted housing for the upcoming year. He showed graphs to stress the gravity of the housing shortage, displaying statistics on the rising cost of living in Princeton as well as a projection of future housing deficiencies.
Miller said there are few housing alternatives that are both affordable and within a reasonable distance from campus.
Miller added that graduate student income makes them ineligible for low-income housing.
"Their stipends can not support the rent," Miller said.
The lack of housing options combined with financial hardship and loss of community leads to a growing anxiety among students, he said.
"All this adds up to the degradation of quality and quantity of work," he said.
Provost Amy Gutmann responded to some of Miller's concerns.
"I will agree that [graduate housing] is a problem," Gutmann said.
But Gutmann said that in the past two years the rate of growth in the graduate student population has been higher than in previous years, making it difficult for the University to assess future housing needs.
The committee also heard reports from Vice Provost Joann Mitchell about childcare facilities for staff members and graduate students.
Finally, Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson reported on continuing efforts by the University to develop additional social outlets for students not interested in going to the 'Street.'
Dickerson said the University hopes to improve "campus climate," but stressed that the clubs exist as independent fixtures outside of the University's control.
"The situation is quite complex," she said. "[The University has] relatively little authority."
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